The Luminous Dead
by Caitlin Starling
3 Stars
3 Stars
Gyre has always wanted to be a caver, and she has practiced but she has never done a full scale mission. When she lies her way into a exploration that makes enough to get off planet and find her mother she never expected the exploration would be more than mapping mineral deposits. However the surface team leading her through the caves she was expecting was anything but, all she got was Em. Em's motivation for putting Gyre down in the cave system isn't exactly clear. She sees nothing wrong with controlling her suit and pumping her with drugs to suit her needs.
As Gyre explores the cave, her and Em get to know each other. Em's true motives are made clear and Gyre realizes she must finish the mission so Em doesn't send anyone into the cave again. But something seems to be following Gyre and she feels like she sees people in the shadows. She tries her hardest to get the mission over with but there is so much to deal with and she starts to fear she won't make it out alive.
This was a good creepy little sci-fi novel. Taking place on a foreign planet in the caves deep below there is so much information and sci-fi packed into this novel. And that's where it falls short. So many aspects are introduced that makes you think there's going to be this huge secret in the caves. But in the end it's a let down, it's a simple creature story that promises more. I also hated that romance was thrown into the story. It was unnecessary to the plot and felt like it was thrown in solely to be considered diverse.
As Gyre explores the cave, her and Em get to know each other. Em's true motives are made clear and Gyre realizes she must finish the mission so Em doesn't send anyone into the cave again. But something seems to be following Gyre and she feels like she sees people in the shadows. She tries her hardest to get the mission over with but there is so much to deal with and she starts to fear she won't make it out alive.
This was a good creepy little sci-fi novel. Taking place on a foreign planet in the caves deep below there is so much information and sci-fi packed into this novel. And that's where it falls short. So many aspects are introduced that makes you think there's going to be this huge secret in the caves. But in the end it's a let down, it's a simple creature story that promises more. I also hated that romance was thrown into the story. It was unnecessary to the plot and felt like it was thrown in solely to be considered diverse.